Loans with HELP from the parents is different than no help from parents or doing it on your own. Some parents give no money and will not take loans (parent loans) or co-sign private loans. In those cases, it is very difficult to get enough in loans to go to any school other than a community college.
Even Flagler college which I suggested costs about $20k per year. If you get some FA and take the direct student loans, you could probably bring that down to $10k. It’s pretty difficult to work for that $10k, and that’s nothing additional for traveling home or other personal expenses.
Just make sure you do the math and know how much you’ll need to pay back. Let’s assume you take out 120K in loans (40K per year) and need to pay that back in the ten year time frame generally expected. We’ll even assume no interest due to easier math - just beware that no interest is a pipe dream. Paying back 120K over 10 years is 12K per year. That’s 1K per month - or just subtract 12K from your salary for the first ten years of your life. If you earn an average of 42K when you graduate, that will bring you down to 30K per year or about 2.5K per month to pay for rent, transportation, insurance, food, clothing, fun, and whatever else you will need. If that’s acceptable to you, enjoy.
If not, contemplate the cost adding interest in for any loans you take. 30K in loans will be 1/4th the cost for you. The roughly $750 per month you’d have will likely be welcome once you graduate.
I think you’re probably wise to be considering St Marys TBH - unless your parents can help pay, not just help get loans for you. It’s the loans that need to be paid back. Anything that can come via being paid for (scholarships, grants, work money, parents, etc) is just like buying anything else - no need to repay those later.
One other concern… if your parents co-signed loans for your sister they may not get approved for more loans so be sure on that before counting on it. It’s the lender that has to say yes, not your parents.
Also check out University of New England in Maine. There’s a little private beach on campus and a lovely view. Health sciences are a strength, it would be an easy admit for you, and may likely get merit money.
Just fixing my late night (for me) math… 120K is borrowing 30K per year, not 40K assuming 4 years. It’s pretty obvious reading it when my brain is actually active, but I didn’t want anyone to gloss over it while skimming and use the wrong figures when looking at college and contemplating debt.
A 42k salary is about 32k after taxes. So OP would be paying 1000 out of a 2600 monthly take-home. Yikes. Your sister, who’s still in college, is no example to follow. She has yet to find a job and start paying the loans, suffering through that for ten, long years. All you knowis she got the loans.
I think OP meant her parents helped her sister get the loans, not that they offer any money.
My D1 kept to the 27k max fed loans, earns more than 42k, is financially savvy- and is struggling with her monthly payment.
@Creekland @lookingforward i know the severity of the situation, which is why i will most likely end up at the cheapest college! thank you for your concerns though 
I am not sure about the finances or other details, but I recall a recent post saying very nice things about a visit to see Monmouth University in New Jersey. It’s very near some beautiful beaches (the real Jersey Shore).
I thought of Monmouth too, but it’s mid-50’s and I believe max merit is $25k. Stockton U has on the ocean housing in Atlantic City now, and you would qualify for in-state tuition, but that still leaves you in the mid-20’s.
University of Puget Sound